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Chicken Kabob from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

I would describe Wexford House atmosphere as cute, welcoming, and laid-back. I like that they bring you a bowl of popcorn (or two) while you are looking over the menu. The menu was diverse and had a wide selection of typical dishes you may expect, to some deliciously sounding comfort food options you do not always see – such as meatloaf. I have to be honest I was pleasantly surprised with how fantastic the food was. My neighbors were so kind to share their plate of hummus, feta, olives, and baba ganoush. The baba ganoush was out of this world! I loved it. Just enough smoky flavor, not overpowered with garlic and the pita bread was fresh. Simply scrumptious.

For my meal, I chose the chicken kabob with rice and a vegetable. The chicken was slightly dry but had great flavor, marinated in ginger. The rice was flavorful and the butternut squash was delicious, not too sweet but just enough. I have to say that all the meals that came to the table looked so appetizing; I think most of us ordered off the Middle Eastern section, which is what I am told Wexford House does best. I will go back, as I have some friends that really enjoy it and the baba ganoush is calling my name.

I drive by the renovated Parkway Restaurant and Bar almost everyday and I see the new dining area and flat screen TVs but I just haven’t had the opportunity to stop in and try the food. Well thank goodness for Worcester Foodies because now that I have eaten there, I will definitely add the Parkway to my rotation of casual dining options. The new room is great, with a large bar, booths along the wall and high-top tables in the middle of the room. Large screen TVs and lots of sports memorabilia adorn the walls.

Anxiously I looked through the menu and saw exactly what I expected to see…casual pub-style choices, appetizers and lots of salads and soups but the menu also included great Italian dishes, steak and fish options, all at unbelievably cheap prices. This is not the old Parkway Diner menu (although that menu is still available from 6:00am – 2:00pm in the dining car). A few things caught my eye, but I decided to start with a cup of Pasta Fagioli soup and ordered the Antipasto for two as my meal. The soup was outstanding, in fact it was so good I was disappointed I didn’t order a bowl! Served spicy and hot with lots of beans and pasta, you can tell this recipe has been passed down a few generations. Up next came my antipasto and once I shared a little with my dining companions, I dug in and made myself a nice big dish. There are a lot of good antipastos in Worcester and this one can hold its own against any of them. First off, it was huge and had everything including olives, roasted peppers, pepperoncini, salami, tomatoes, pepperoni and plentiful slices of provolone cheese all on top of fresh iceberg lettuce. I ordered mine with blue cheese dressing on the side and dipped each and every bite into the creamy dressing and enjoyed it thoroughly.

My dining companions were a little more adventurous than I was ordering Grilled Salmon, Grilled Sausage and a huge plate of pasta, meatballs and veal that all looked outstanding. I will be back to the Parkway Restaurant and Bar, the service was great, the value was outstanding and the tastes were fantastic! –JG